Dennis Hopper attends Hollywood Walk of Fame ceremony

He is too ill to testify, but doctor recommended he appear at star ceremony

Starz cable network pays for Hopper's star on Hollywood Boulevard

Los Angeles, California (CNN) -- Dennis Hopper took what may be his final bow Friday as his star was dedicated on Hollywood's Walk of Fame.

His lawyer and doctor told the judge overseeing his divorce this week that Hopper is dying of prostate cancer, but the 73-year-old actor was smiling broadly during the ceremony.

"I just want to thank you," Hopper told the crowd surrounding him. "That's all I can do."

"Easy Rider" co-star Jack Nicholson stood behind Hopper as Hollywood star number 2,403 was revealed with Hopper's name in front of the Egyptian Theater. Other stars on hand included director David Lynch and singers Johnny Mathis and Dwight Yoakam.

With his 6-year-old daughter, Galen, by his side, Hopper waved and bowed to hundreds of fans lining a barricade along Hollywood Boulevard.

Hopper's doctor called him "extremely weak" and said he weighs barely 100 pounds in a court document filed this week, but he walked on his own during the 45 minutes he was at the ceremony.

His forehead and right hand were bandaged, but not because of his illness. Hopper said he "took a terrible fall" and "got pretty screwed up" as photographers followed him outside his Venice, California, home Thursday.

"I want to thank the paparazzi," he said. "I know you've got a tough job, but sometimes you ought to be a little more sensitive."

Hopper, who is undergoing radical chemotherapy for advanced, metastasized prostate cancer, is also divorcing his wife of 14 years, Victoria Hopper.

He is too weak and ill to be questioned by lawyers in the divorce, but attending Friday's ceremony "is a positive experience in every way," his doctor's sworn statement said.

The couple separated in January when he filed for divorce, claiming the stress of their relationship was threatening his life as he battled cancer.

"The presence of his estranged wife is hampering Mr. Hopper's present cancer care as she introduces significant additional stress into his life," Dr. David Argus said. "The less Mr. Hopper has to do with his estranged wife at this time, the more likely he is to have his life extended."

Victoria Hopper's lawyer did not immediately respond to calls for comment.

The divorce case is set for an April 5 hearing in Los Angeles County Superior Court.

Hopper said the Starz cable network paid for his Hollywood star ceremony, which cost $25,000. His last acting job was on "Crash," the TV series based on the Oscar-winning movie of the same name. Hopper's acting career has spanned almost six decades. In the '50s he had roles in several TV shows and films, including "Rebel Without a Cause" (1955) and "Giant" (1956). He became a Hollywood sensation for "Easy Rider," the 1969 film he directed and co-wrote in which he played a dissolute, countercultural biker.